SUMO!

SUMO!

I went to watch the Kyushu Basho 2005 on Sunday.

That's the last Grand Sumo tournament of the year by the way.

Through work, I managed to wangle 2 free tickets in the fourth row from the front. That is close enough to... Well, let's just say it's close enough, if you know my meaning. These seats usually go for $150 and I sat next to a presenter for NHK (The Japanese equivalent to the BBC.) and an army of super-salarymen in their ubiquitous uniform of freshly pressed suits.

The only people closer were those lucky or unlucky (Depending on your persuasion / level of sumo fanaticism) enough to smell what the wrestlers had for lunch... and I'm not talking about their breath.

It was fucking awesome. Talk about alive training, these guys are hardcore. I saw more cauliflower ears that day than all week at shooto training. And the force those guys hit each other with, jeez. There is technically no striking in sumo but they wham each other in the face when they are jockeying for position and when they do you can hear the slaps in the back row.

If anyone follows Sumo then you will know about Koto oshu and Asashoryu. Kotooshu is a Bulgarian wrestler who is super gifted and is making ridiculously rapid advancement up the ranks. Asashoryu is some kind of mongolian mutant freak who is absolutely amazing. He is also the only Yokozuna at the moment so he is light years ahead of everyone. Asashoryu set some kind of record by winning the Kyushu basho - check the link here if you are interested http://www.japantimes.co.jp/sumo.htm

It was a really awesome day. The fights were very exciting, and some of the technique was amazing, especially for such big guys. there were a couple of throws that wouldn't have looked out of place at a judo tourney...

The last two fights in particular were awesome. Kotooshu, the crazy popular bulgarian, fought kaio, a local boy, and Asashoryu the unstoppable fought another local boy chiyotaikai. As you can imagine, with the four most popular fighters in the whole place fighting in the last two fights of the entire year, fever pitch was mental... much screaming and shouting and jumping up and down.

Watching sumo, if you ever have a chance, comes highly recommended.

A big highlight... I tried to go for a whizz halfway through. When I got to the toilet, all sorts of people in dark suitswith headphones intheir ears and serious looks on their faces were standing around looking serious and barking orders at people. I was just pissed off because I couldn't get to the toilet. So I went and sat down, and then everyone started cheering like crazy and all the guys in suits came into the stadium and I realised... they were escorting Prime Minister Koizumi! (Who must have been taking a presidential dump moments before.) He came and sat down with the rest of the audience for an hour or so just to watch the show. It was pretty awesome.

Then he presented the cup to Asashoryu. I think he gave his bodyguards a heart attack when he lifted the cup because he looked like he was going to drop it... look at the fucking size of it!

Another funny thing - its customary to pick up the cushions you are sitting on and fling them around the auditorium after a particularly interesting fight... the bodyguards made a kind of human sheild around him when it happened which was funny. I got two cushions in the head from some drunk old businessmen... bloody bastards! Probably angry I had better seats than them... nyer nyer.

So its like a cross between judo , russian roulette , and greco roman , and a game of chicken in 18 wheelers ?

http://sumo.goo.ne.jp/eng/ozumo_joho...e/banzuke.html
A bout is won by forcing the opponent out of the inner circle or throwing him in the dohyo. To lose the match it is not necessary to fall in the circle or to be pushed completely out. The rikishi who touches the ground with any part of his body, his knee or even the tip of his finger or his top-knot, loses the match. Or he need only put one toe or his heel over the straw bales marking the circle. Striking with fists, hair pulling, eye gouging, choking and kicking in the stomach or chest are prohibited. It is also against the rules to sieze the part of the band covering the vital organs. As there are no weight limits as in boxing or western wrestling it is possible for a rikishi to find himself pitted against an opponent twice his own weight.

and to clarify : There aren't rounds , just an instant loss if something besides your feet touch the ground or if you break the circle , no second chances or best or 3's or what ever ?

Originally Posted by Bodhi108

Nuke a unborn gay whale for Christ.

“I don't mean to sound bitter, cold, or cruel, but I am, so that's how it comes out.”
BILL HICKS,
1961-1994

Thats what I was thinking ... if you win consistantly your either very very lucky or have to have some excellent balance and offensive skills coming out of your ears .

I have looked into sumo before but didnt really follow up on it much . Mainly like I mentioned before .. Kentucky isnt exactly a Martial Arts Mecca or over flowing with solid information from trust worthy sources .

thanks for the links I am gonna look into it more later ... maybe I can find some matches on the evil dreaded file sharing thingy ...

*EDIT*

Screw Baseball ... any sport that encourages cushion throwing by the fans already has a double plus good rating in my book .

Why go to Japan to watch an American sport ?

Last edited by BackFistMonkey; 11/28/2005 2:29am at .

Originally Posted by Bodhi108

Nuke a unborn gay whale for Christ.

“I don't mean to sound bitter, cold, or cruel, but I am, so that's how it comes out.”
BILL HICKS,
1961-1994